We work with more than 6,000 small and diverse suppliers to supply goods and services to support our clients.

Small Businesses, Big Stories

Customers today want the bigger story behind the products and services we provide. Where does my food come from? Which businesses have their finger on the pulse of local market trends? Are we supporting local communities and economies?

Our business strategy focuses on a supply chain that is inclusive of local, small and diverse suppliers to ensure long-term sustainability. At present, we have partnerships with more than 6,000 small or diverse suppliers—about 18% of those are certified as diverse suppliers and our goal is to double that number. In fact, we've made our supplier certification campaign a priority to ensure our small and diverse supplier base is aware of network and business resources available to them. Our partner in this endeavor, Certify My Company -- a certified women-owned business enterprise (WBE) and a disabled-owned business enterprise (DOBE) -- is assisting our self-classified suppliers to obtain third-party diversity certifications. This campaign will help us achieve our goal to increase our small and diverse spend to 25% throughout our supply chain by 2025. 

Why Local, Small and Diverse Suppliers?

We believe our supplier base should reflect the diversity of our employees, clients and customers, which in turn helps drive overall satisfaction and growth. Local, small and diverse suppliers have more insight into local market trends and can more authentically supply products and services that are culturally relevant for our consumers. Partnering with local, small and diverse suppliers drives economic impact and supports our diversity and inclusion goals.

At Aramark, we define locally sourced as grown, raised or caught within 250 miles (400km) of the Aramark location. We strive to purchase products from small-scale community-based producers that are independently or cooperatively owned enterprises. In 2018, we launched Open Fields Reporting, the industry’s first analytics engine that allows frontline managers to report on local and sustainable purchases.

Aramark was one of the first food service companies to launch Economic Impact Reporting in 2018 in conjunction with CVM Solutions, a certified minority business enterprise (MBE) leader in supplier diversity analytics. Our reporting system reflects spend with small and diverse suppliers and provides us with data to demonstrate how we contribute to job growth, income increase and tax revenues in local communities. About 14,000 jobs are attributed to our supplier diversity programs in one fiscal year, adding tax revenue of about $250 million.

Ensuring Fair Treatment

As a company committed to operating ethically and with integrity, we also have high standards for our suppliers. Our Supplier Code of Conduct insists that people throughout the supply chain are treated fairly—and are offered a safe working environment with fair pay. Suppliers must adhere to applicable employment and environmental laws and industry workplace standards, including non-discrimination guidelines, as well as allowing their employees freedom of association.

This foundational approach has led us to focus on offering products such as fair trade certified coffee across our businesses, as well as a groundbreaking agreement to help raise wages and improve working conditions for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Florida’s tomato farmworkers.

Partner with Us!

If you are a small, local or diverse supplier, register to work with us. We are always looking to expand our reach and satisfy even more customers.